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| Edited By: Rucha Sharma |Source: DNA webdesk |Updated: Aug 07, 2017, 10:10 AM IST
If there is one word to describe the latest episode of Game of Thrones, 'The Spoils of War,' it has to be SPECTACULAR!
Let's a take a look at the salient moments of the episode one by one.
Bronn, Lord Stokeworth in the books, doesn't have much going on for him even after the Lannisters promised him a castle. Jaime doesn't trust him entirely, even after fighting with him at Dorne, because he is a sellsword. But the King-slayer will have to trust him after the latest events. There is no way around liking his crass talk and practical mind.
The next encounter that occurs is of two people who see everything all at once. But before that, Meera Reed's encounter with Bran confirms that there was one death we failed to notice. Bran survived an assassination attempt in season one at the hands of a catspaw. The very Valerian dagger that made its reappearance in Sam's book in episode one of this season, is given to Bran by Petyr Littlefinger Baelish as he pledges his loyalty to be there for Caitlyn's kids. Bran, who is more Three Eyed Raven, replies with Baelish's wisecrack "Chaos is a ladder." Cue the chills.
The Valerian dagger soon finds its rightful owner when in the series of reunions, Arya returns to Winterfell. The Stark sisters meet in the crypt in front of Ned Stark's statue. Arya reminds Sansa that they're both still alive, which means their "stories aren't over yet." This is where the dance of 'I-have-seen-things-you-wouldn't-believe' played by Sansa, Jon, and Bran adds another member. Arya talks about her kill list, but Sansa still thinks of her as the little girl who would annoy her in the first season when she was trying to impress Joffrey of all people. That doubt about Arya's killing skills gets somewhat lifted when Bran, who is the ultimate hacker seeing all things at once, brings up her kill list without provocation. This is where the dagger changes hands and opens up the bloody possibilities for how Baelish might lose his life. Baelish is the original owner of that blade and it would be fitting of Game of Thrones school of justice if it had his blood on it. Baelish finally has a match in Bran who sees everything and fights all the battles at the same time. This, combined with Arya's sparring showcase with Brienne sets alarm bells ringing for the Lord of Vale.
In the South, Jon Snow and Daenerys seem to have been playing the actual song of ice and fire. The heat between these two makes the steam palpable and there comes a time when one would let go of the squeamishness that comes with the concept of incest and would start chanting 'kiss, kiss' as one would do at a high school game of spin the bottle.
But that moment doesn't last long after Daenerys hears of the condition of Grey Worm and the Unsullied at Casterly Rock. She is eager to show the Lannisters what she is capable of, but Tyrion and Varys advise against it. She turns to Jon and only hears the echo. He says, "I never thought dragons would exist again. No one did. The people who follow you know you made something impossible happen. Maybe that helps them believe you can make other impossible things happen, to build the world that's different from the shit one they've always known. But if you use them to melt castles and burn cities, you're not different. You're just more of the same."
Consider advice royally ignored.
What happens next is the record setting we earlier told you about. This is just a preview of what's to come once all the restrictions are removed and there is nothing but chaos.
I won't describe the spectacle that takes place in the last sixteen minutes of the episode, but will try to put down what it all means. Daenerys was forced to marry Khal Drogo so that one day, his Dothraki army will help Viserys take the Iron Throne. There is no Drogo, no Viserys, but their namesakes fly in the skies of Westeros and their army charges at the Lannister troops doing exactly what they intended to do. Dany may have found a winning moment, but if one were to combine that with the scene from episode one in which Arya shared bread with Ed Sheeran and other Lannister army men, the question that comes up is Dany the more dangerous version of Cersei by sending hellfire?
Facing that hellfire is Jaime Lannister. Tyrion watches over his brother trying to make sense of dragons in the sky, savages charging at his army, and make a foolhardy decision to do anything for Cersei. This is where the cliffhanger comes and viewers will be left gasping. The fate of two characters is left hanging until next Sunday.
1. Talking to Tycho Nestoris of the Iron Bank, Cersei mentions recruiting a group of sellswords known as the Golden Company. Book readers will be delighted to see a new story arc for the Targaryen loyalist working for the Lannisters.
2. Theon Greyjoy meets Jon Snow on the shores of Dragonstone. Jon lets him live because he helped Sansa escape the Boltons. This sets up Theon's fate too. Either save Yara or die serving the Starks.
3. Brienne for the first time feels good about herself when she sees the Stark sisters reunite.
4. Samwell Tarly for the win, once you hear Bronn make fun of his brother's name!
5. There is a cameo by New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard as one of the Lannister army men.
